


EAD 2019

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Criminal Minds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-26 23:31:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17755583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: Evil Author Day random parts, snippets, and ideas.There are no promises here.





	1. Kidnapping

Joe and Otis paced their dim room in the back of the warehouse and tried to think. Their boss, Freddie, had been nabbed that morning dumping their most recent guest. And worse yet, he’d been nabbed by a group of Feds. “What’re we gonna do, Joe?”

Joe stopped and glared at his friend. “Why me? Why can’t you figure it out?”

Otis shrugged. They’d been at Freddie’s house when the Feds had stormed the place, had been hidden in the crawlspace under the main room. “How can we get them to let him out?”

“Let him out?! He killed eight women! _We_ raped and killed eight women! They ain’t lettin’ him out! He’s gonna fry!”

“But… What if we have leverage?”

Joe was irritated now. “We ain’t got nothin’ for leverage!”

Otis couldn’t argue with that. They had nothin’, were nobody. “But I bet those Feds have people. People they don’t want hurt.” His brain was turning the idea around now. “I bet one of ‘um has kids! Kids will get Freddie free!”

“And how do you suggest we find these mystery kids? We don’t even know who took him, you idiot! You have any idea how many Feds there are?!”

“They were talkin’ though. Maybe one of them said a name!” With a huff, he stormed to the small area where their fridge was and grabbed a beer. “Didn’t one guy call out to another guy? Did he say his name?”

Joe thought for several minutes, stewing in the corner. “I think he called him Hotch or… Hooch? Can’t be too many guys named that, right?”

“Sounds like a nickname, Man.”

“Well, look it up.” He waved at the laptop on the small counter.

Grumbling, Otis tapped on the keyboard. “How do you think it’s spelled?”

“Do I look like a damned dictionary?” Joe spat. “Try…H-O-C-H.”

Otis typed and then typed again, trying several things. “I think it’s a nickname, Man. Nothing’s coming up!”

“Wait! Was he the same guy the other guy called Aaron?”

“Don’t think so.”

Joe frowned. “Try anyway.”

After another minute, Otis grinned. “A-ha! I think this might be it! Is this him?” He turned the screen.

“You are a simpleton, ain’t you Ote. I was under the floor with you, you dimwit.”

“Oh. Yeah. There’s a video here.”

After a full minute of silence, Joe had to ask. “You gonna play it?”

“Oh!” Otis hit the box, the voice filled their crummy place. “That him?”

“Yeah. That’s him.”

==

After a good bit of arguing and a fight, Joe and Otis had come to an agreement on figuring out if the Feds, the BAU they now knew, had kids and where to find them. Joe had dragged Otis along until they found the kids he’d found a picture of online and just their luck, they were in the park with an adult they didn’t recognize watching them. Biding their time, eventually the adult got up and walked off, leaving a group of kids of wide ages alone.

Rushing, they grabbed the littlest ones off the grass and aimed a gun at the bigger ones. “Scream and someone dies!” Joe growled. “We’re going to quietly get into our van and if you get anyone’s attention, we start shooting, understand?” The bigger kids all nodded.

“Go!” Otis shoved the boys forward while Joe shoved the older girl. Each of them had an armful of smaller, crying, kids. Six kids were surely gonna get Freddie out of custody. He was gonna be so proud.

==

As they were loaded into the back of the van, their hands and feet were tied, the three older kids anyway. Each of the little ones were placed in the lap of an older before the door slammed shut. Jack leaned into Meg’s side. “Poor Chris.”

She couldn’t help but smirk as she held tight to Molly in her lap. “I know. We’re going to get out of this though.”

The pair glanced at Henry who nodded as well. “Yeah, we’re getting out of this.”

==

Chris ran around the whole area of the park, shouting until his throat was raw. How did six kids just vanish? He was already panicking when a little old lady waved him down and described the children, asking if that was who he was looking for. She’d then explained that two dirty men had picked them up and had left with them.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Chris swallowed hard. This was going to be bad enough with Kate, he wasn’t looking forward to how it was going to go over with the others. “Kate?” His voice trembled when she answered. “The kids are gone. All of them. Two men loaded them into a van.” He wished he’d been taken too. Having all of the BAU kids abducted on his watch, there was no way he would ever be allowed to babysit again.

==

Will had been waiting along with Savannah at the elevator doors when Chris stepped off. They were, jokingly, the ‘wives’ of the BAU. The spouses who usually stood on the outside except today they weren’t.

“What happened?” Will asked the moment the other man arrived. “How could they just vanish?”

“I don’t know. I asked them if they wanted ice cream, I figured Meg and the boys were mature enough to sit while I ran and grabbed it. I swear to you, Will, I never expected this to happen! I mean, why didn’t they yell or something?” He hadn’t realized the pair was leading him toward the conference room until they crossed the doorway. The team was inside, everyone sitting except for Hotch. Chris swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry.”

Hotch gave him a curt nod and nothing more before turning back to the others. “Agent McPherson’s team is officially running the abduction case, but he’s told me we are free to investigate and pursue as we feel necessary, we just need to keep him in the loop.”

“This has got to do with a case. It’s too much of a coincidence that someone got all six kids.” Dave tapped the table.

“But there’s been no ransom demand.” JJ pointed out.

“It’s still early.” Reid checked his watch. “Ransom demands are usually made within the first few hours. It’s unlikely, given the mix of ages and genders, that this has a sexual motive.”

“Unless they intend to use the ones they don’t need as leverage for the others.” Morgan sighed.

“Or they just kill them.” Kate added softly.

==

“Hey! You!” Meg shouted from the back of the van. “Where the hell are we going?”

The driver jerked the van, sending the kids toppling sideways and started the babies crying.

“The babies are hurt!” She cried out, pleased when the van stopped. “You have us all in here unbuckled and we can’t even hold the babies to keep them safe you morons!”

One man climbed out and came to the back with a knife, carefully unbinding their hands. “Now shut up before we just kill you lot.”

“You won’t.” Jack growled. “Our parents will find you and kill you before that happens.”


	2. Support

Aaron spent the next week silently waiting on Haley hand and foot, barely letting her leave the bedroom in case she overdid it. He didn’t want to bring up what they lost in case she broke down again and he didn’t want to talk about how devastated he was as well in case Haley thought he was trying to downplay her grief. So, like a ghost, he moved from room to room, bringing her food and drink and anything else she could possibly want, keeping his own emotions locked away. Then at night, once he knew she was asleep, he returned to his spot in the hall and cried over the child they wouldn’t have.

On the eighth day, Penelope stopped by unexpectedly with bags of groceries, insisting she was more than capable of putting them away while Hotch tended to his wife. As she worked, she listened. To the silence, to the soft tears of her friend, to the depression that was clouding the closed-up house. Eventually, she crept upstairs and found the pair existing in the same place, but not really together. Taking a deep breath, she shooed Hotch out of the room and out of the house for an hour before she returned to her friend’s side. “How are you holding up?”

“It hurts.” Haley chewed her lip. “I have no idea what Aaron’s thinking, he has barely said a word to me all week. I want my husband, but instead I just have this man made of stone. He holds it all in like his emotions are a big secret.”

“Aw, Sweetie. I’m sure he’s just as upset as you are, he just doesn’t want you to worry about him too.”

“Do you… Would you stay tonight? I’m not sure I can handle another evening of the silence.”

“Sure, whatever you want.” Later that evening, after Haley had drifted off to sleep, Garcia went searching for where Hotch had gotten himself off to after their silent dinner. She found him in the hall, on the floor with his head on his arms. When he looked up at her, eyes red and bloodshot from the night’s round of crying, her heart broke. Kneeling down, she pulled him close like she had Haley, supporting him as he wore himself out. When he quieted, she finally spoke. “You have to talk to Haley.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You could start with telling her you sit here, staring at that room, crying. Just talk to her, it doesn’t have to be in a nice neat order, it just has to be said.”

After a moment, he pulled back upright and studied her. “How did you get to be so good at knowing what to say?”

Garcia shrugged.

“Okay. I’ll talk to her.” He stood, glancing at the door before turning toward the master bedroom. “Thank you for coming today. You don’t have to stay.”

“You’re welcome and I told Haley I’d stay, so you’re stuck with me till morning. Go to her. And don’t rush to get up in the morning, I’ll take care of breakfast.”


	3. Dora

As the passengers unloaded from the plane, Dora brushed her black slacks and simple white shirt smooth, she’d stop in a bathroom on her way out and make sure the hours on the plane hadn’t messed up her straight brown hair too badly. Stop eventually made, she headed for the luggage area and the row of people holding signs for the ones they were meeting. She didn’t see a face that matched the one in the photo, which was odd. The message she’d gotten said he’d be picking her up personally. Crossing the open space, Dora then spotted her name on a sign, but the sign wasn’t held by a man in a suit or one of the number of hired drivers lining the way. It was held by a blonde woman wearing a dress covered in vibrant pink flowers on a white background and happy looking bumblebees. The colors of the flowers were picked up in the sweater she was wearing over her shoulders that did nothing to make the low neckline more modest, and as well as in the teetering wedges she had on her feet. The barrettes in her hair had bees bouncing around them and her glasses were the same vibrant pink. Dora made eye contact and the woman lit up even more, rushing forward toward her with amazing speed given her footwear.

“Dora Becket?”

“Um, yes.” She offered her hand but was swept up in a breath-stopping hug.

“Bossman wanted so bad to be the one to pick you up, but the team got a case and he had no choice and the poor man looked totally distraught at missing being here and I offered to just hack in and get the stewardesses let you know but he gave me that look he does, you’ll learn the one, and _then_ I offered to just pick you up and he got this nervous look and I think he was just going to send the team without him but then Rossi jumped in and told him it was a great idea and made me promise not to scare you so bad that you did a run back to England on the next flight because Bossman desperately needs someone he can depend on with Jack and…” She cut herself off mid-thought, her hand covering her mouth. “And I’m doing what he said not to do.”

Very little truly ever surprised Dora, she’d worked around people too many years for that, but this woman had definitely taken her by surprise.

“Oh! I’m Penelope. Garcia. You can call me either. Or Pen, or Penny, or just P. Hotch calls me Garcia unless he really needs me to focus or needs my attention.” Bending forward, Garcia collected her large bag from its spot on the floor by her feet and turned. “Let’s get your bags and then get you to the house.”

Following obediently, Dora collected her cases and let Penelope lead her through the parking garage to a vintage convertible. It was beautiful. “This is yours?”

Penelope’s grin grew as she nodded vigorously. “Uh-huh. Her name’s Esther. You like?”

“She’s beautiful.” She kept admiring the car as the cases were loaded into the trunk. Suddenly a pretty scarf appeared in her line of sight. “What’s this?” She watched as Penelope wrapped a second one around her own head.

“Just because we drive with the top down, does not mean we must look windblown.” Her voice took on a mock accent. “Now, come on, we mustn’t keep junior G-man waiting.”

They were out of the city before Dora finally turned in her seat. “So, you work for Mister Hotchner?”

“Yep.”

“As?”

“Oh! I’m on his team. I’m a technical analyst, but they’re in the air themselves right now and the computers are doing their thing, I have another techie babysitting them until I get back. My job is a bit portable, sometimes I bring my computers and look after Sir Jack, but my screens can be a dangerous thing for a little boy who’s been through so much.”

“Yeah, the file said his mum passed away recently. Had she been ill?” She was met with the blonde’s sudden silence and a wide-eyed look that lasted the rest of the drive. As soon as the car was in the assigned parking spot, a squeal sounded from a doorway and a little boy was rushing down the steps.

==

The sound of the alarm beeping and then being turned off woke her. With a glance at the clock, Dora saw that it was the wee hours of the morning, nearly dawn. Jessica had stayed for dinner and bath, but had gone home just after little Jack had gone to bed. Creeping out of her room, Dora peered toward the living room, there was a single lamp on now. In the half light, she could make out a tall, suited man dropping his things on the table. He looked exhausted as he let out a heavy sigh and headed for the liquor cabinet before pausing and turning toward the kitchen, instead pouring some of the orange juice from the fridge with one hand. Barely entering the room, she spoke up. “Mister Hotchner?”

He went rigid, turning on his heel before seeing her and instantly relaxing. From this angle, she could see his other arm was in a sling under his suit jacket. “Oh! You must be Dora, I’m so sorry I wasn’t at the airport to get you. I hope Penelope didn’t scare you too much.”

“She’s lovely. A little different.”

He smirked. “Just a bit.” He winced when he seemed to forget his injury and tried to lift his arm.

“Are you okay, Sir?”

“I’m fine. And, please, just Aaron or Hotch. Was Jack okay with you taking over so suddenly?”

“He was fine. It was his job to show me how to get to the park and the store, we had an adventure.”

“Good. I have a car for you, I’ll get you the keys.” He finished his juice and began to try and wash out the glass.

Seeing him struggle, Dora rushed forward. “Please, Mist… Aaron… I’ll do it. You’re injured and it’s late. Sit.” She waved him to the table. “Did you have dinner? Jack and I had mac and cheese and turkey sandwiches.”

“Yeah, I…” He trailed off. When he realized she was studying him, he ducked his head. “I have no idea when I last ate.”

She nodded, pulling out leftovers and making him a plate.

“You didn’t have to do this. You’re here for Jack.”

“My job, Aaron, is to care for Jack and sometimes that might mean caring for his father as well.”

==

Six days after the midnight departure, Garcia called and said the team was coming home, that was the last Dora heard until the front door opened just after Jack had dropped off to sleep.

“Dora?”

“Yes, Sir.” She appeared from her room, gasping at the sight of the other man hanging off her boss’s shoulder, looking beaten and in pain. “Oh! What happened?” She rushed to help Aaron’s one-handed attempts to manage the gangly man to the couch.

“Unsub got the drop on him.”

“What?”

“The bad guy we were chasing, hid on the top of a container in a storage yard and jumped down on him, gave him a hell of a beating.”

The man now draped across the couch moaned.

“He’s in pain.” She observed.

“He can’t have any strong pain meds and he’s already had the other stuff, I can’t do anything more for him.” Aaron winced at the pain in his arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s heavier than he looks. Morgan and Dave got him on and off the jet, but Dave’s house is being renovated and Morgan only has a one bedroom and I…. I seriously forgot you were here…” His words slowed down as his thoughts caught up. “I was going to put him in the guest bedroom. Shit.”

“Let me clean him up and look him over and then we’ll see about moving him.” She caught his arched brow. “I had medical training classes, remember? Show me the worst injuries.” She gestured to the still unnamed man. As they undressed him, she caught sight of the healing track marks on his arm and frowned, no wonder he couldn’t have reasonable pain management. Together, they cleaned him up and set about shifting him to the guest bedroom.

“Now where will you sleep?” Aaron stared down at Spencer while speaking to Dora.

“A night on the couch won’t hurt me.”

He tried to move his arm and hissed.

“Go get your shirt off and let me make sure you haven’t really hurt yourself with your heroics.” She shooed him away. “Call for me when you’re ready.” Ten minutes later, Dora was getting her first look at the scars littering Aaron’s body.

==

Hotch was at the stove making what looked like scrambled eggs, Jack was sitting at the counter jabbering and a woman he didn’t recognize was moving between the two, pouring coffee and milk into mugs.

“Morning.”

Spencer’s eyes tracked back to where Hotch was watching him with an easy smile.

“Morning.”

The woman crossed the room. “How are you doing now? Anything still hurt more than the rest?”

“Uhh, no, I’m fine.”

She gave an exasperated look but left it, returning to her task. “I’m Dora, by the way.”

“Oh, yeah, Spencer…Reid. I forgot, Jack’s nanny.”

“You forgot?” Aaron asked, brow arching.

He just shrugged one shoulder.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Sit.” Hotch pointed to a chair with a spatula before piling a plate high with food.

Dora watched her boss, how much attention he paid to caring for Spencer, which seemed to be directly contrasting to how much attention he paid to himself. No wonder Penny called it what she did.

“That’s too much, Hotch!” Spencer gaped at the food. “I’ll never eat all that.”

“You will.”

Spencer pouted his lower lip out slightly but changed the subject. “After this I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Not till Monday.”

“What? But it’s only Friday.” His voice went up half and octave.

“And I want to make sure you don’t overdo it until you’re on your way to healing.”

“That’s a bit of a double standard, isn’t it?”

“What?” Aaron was turned completely away from the stove now.

Dora couldn’t help the snicker that slipped out.

“You were back in the office under twelve hours after having major muscles in your arm damaged. I know it’s not your dominant arm, but it’s still the arm you most often shoot with and ignoring the severity of that would all but end your ability to use that arm. I got beat up. Hotch, I’ve been getting beaten for two decades, I’m fairly used to it now. I’m perfectly okay to be at home on my own.”

There was a moment of silence, Hotch was staring at his hands, considering the weight of his next words. When he finally spoke them, they were low, soft and laced with concern. “And if the pain gets worse? Or the nightmares start up?” His eyes met Spencer’s and then dipped to the younger man’s arm. “Will you be okay then?”

They all paused, Dora was unsure what it was that’d suddenly shifted, but there was a look in Aaron’s eyes as he looked at his teammate, something that made the younger made pause as well.

“I- Is…is that why you’re worried?” He waited for an answer that didn’t come. “I- I don’t know what I can say, Hotch, to help you understand, I’ve worked really hard to put that all behind me. I didn’t like who I was, and I don’t want to go back and no injury or nightmare is going to change that… Okay?”

It took him a moment to consider. “Okay.”

“Good. Now. You’re burning the eggs.”

Aaron whirled around, swearing under his breath.


	4. Share

“I was thinking…”

Spencer gasped, his attention suddenly split between the cock pounding into his ass and the very casual tone of his lover starting a conversation. Aaron wasn’t particularly vocal during sex on a normal day and never straight up chatty. The only response he could manage, hands supporting him as he was bent over the edge of the bed, was a grunt.

“You should come with me to the meeting at the Hoover Building.” Shifting his weight, Aaron pulled Spencer up so they were back to chest, taking hold of the younger man’s bouncing dick with his left hand. “I want to show you off to someone. Want to show them how you look when you come all over yourself.”

Aaron’s meaning slammed into him and Spencer arched, the idea of being shown off clearly doing something for him. He cried out, sobbing against the feel of teeth in his shoulder as he came. Sagging, he could still feel Aaron’s hardness twitching, waiting, inside his ass. “Oh god…” He knew what it meant when Aaron allowed him to come first. “Aaron…”

Aaron was still stroking Spencer’s softening cock. “Can I show you off? Can I show my friend how pretty you are?”

“Yesss….”

“I want to fuck you so hard you feel me tomorrow. Can I do that?”

“Please.”

==

“So, who is this friend?” Spencer blew on his cup of coffee the following morning in the passenger seat of Aaron’s car.

Aaron blushed slightly. “Someone I’ve met coming and going over the years.”

“Coming or _coming?”_

“Both. He’d called two weeks ago and mentioned the meeting and that he’d be in DC for three days. He said he was bringing his partner and suggested dinner and drinks.”

“Partner?”

Aaron shook his head. “He’s married.”

“But you want to show me off?”

“I have been given the impression over several phone calls that his wife is fully aware of his status with his partner. I’ve yet to suss out her involvement.” He guided the car toward the base. “He asked if I was bringing anyone special along.”

“And you told him yes?”

“No. I _want_ to tell him yes. But I wanted to talk to you first.”

“And you thought screwing me senseless would get me to agree?”

“You tend to be more agreeable when your dick is getting more blood than your brain.” Aaron smirked.

“I’ll remember this, you’re dick keeps you agreeable too.” He sipped his drink. “Especially if it thinks it’s going to get some nookie.”

Aaron arched a brow at him at the next stop light.

“Tell you what.” Spencer leaned in. “If I can get you to come three times between now and when we get home, I’ll go along and let you do whatever you want to me.”

“Whatever I want?”

“Whatever you want.”

“But I have to let you make me come at work.”

“Or anywhere between now and walking in the front door.” He reached across the console and rubbed the front of Aaron’s pressed slacks. “Three times.”

“But someone could see.”

“Three times, Aaron.”

Hotch blew out a steadying breath, as much to calm his nerves as to will his dick not to start twitching in anticipation. “Can we have any boundaries?”

“Anywhere, Aaron, or no Spencer parade.” When the car came to a stop in Hotch’s parking spot, Spencer climbed out. “Three times.” He closed the door.

==

Shaking his head, Rossi began to search through his things. “I’m going to shower, you two don’t do…anything. Don’t even breathe in one another’s directions.”

The moment they were alone, Spencer crossed the room. “Come for me.”

“Wha-what?” Hotch glanced from his boyfriend to the closed bathroom door and back again. “He’ll hear us.”

“So? It’s Rossi, he really doesn’t have a leg to stand on as far as potentially inappropriate goes.” He began to work Aaron’s belt loose. “It’s time to come for me.” Beneath his fingers, he could feel the base of the other’s man’s dick twitch. “Here and now, you have until the door clicks back open.”

“Or what?”

Spencer’s smirk grew. “That’s a secret.” Belt open, he worked the button and zip next, adjusting pants and boxers lower so cock and balls were freed before nudging Aaron to sit on the foot of the bed. “I’m going to watch.”

“Only watch?”

He nodded. “You want to be able to have me put on a show? You have to put on a show for me first. Let’s see you get yourself hard.”

Swallowing, Aaron wrapped his left hand around his own prick, stroking and twisting, trying to block out everything else that was on his mind and just focus on Spencer. It felt like it took way too long, but he started getting hard. “I need lube.”

With a flourish, Spencer freed a bottle from his pocket, crossing the room only long enough to drip large drops onto the beautiful cock before stepping away again. “Have you ever fingered yourself when you were alone?”

Aaron’s eyes grew wide. “You want me to…”

“Not now. But I can see the idea excites you.” He rested his elbows on his knees.  “Massage your balls.”

He did so, a deep sound rumbling out from his chest. It was far from a secret that one of the things he loved about Spencer was that he focused so much time doing that to him. Spencer’s hands were the perfect size it seemed to hold them together, the memory of the last time, only days before, send drops of precome dribbling from the head of his dick. “God, Spence…”

“Add that twist you do.” Spencer had his own fantasies and fetishes, and he wouldn’t deny that seeing his lover fall apart still donning his Agent armor was high on that list. “Close your eyes, imagine it’s me touching you.”

He complied. “Shit.” His own hand wasn’t quite enough. “I need more.”

“Are you close?” The sound of water turning off in the next room registered in the back of his mind.

“So close, I need more.”

“Fuck your hand, Aaron.”

He needed his right hand to steady himself on the bed, but Aaron’s hips snapped as he did as he was told, he was panting loudly now and could feel the flush of his skin, the beads of sweat forming. “Spence…” The name was a little louder and more desperate than before.

“Make yourself come for me, Aaron.”

Quite sex was something that took focus, and generally Hotch was exceptional at focus, but knowing Spencer was sitting there watching him made it hard to focus.  He could feel his balls drawing up, his rhythm stuttered and then he was arching, crying out as ribbons pulsed out of him. His right arm gave out and he was tumbling backward onto the bed as his mind tried to race upstream to catch back up. Breaking his haze, a hand towel was dropped over his exposed groin and hand before the door to the outside clicked open and closed again. Blinking, Aaron realized he was suddenly alone, Spencer had slipped out. Before he could begin to wonder why, another door, the bathroom door clicked open and Dave stepped out in a billow of steam.

Curling on himself, Aaron did the only thing he could, he hoped that the small towel gave him the coverage he needed, the only problem was, his only means of escape was past Rossi and in the bathroom.

Rossi halted in the doorway, staring at his long-time friend. At a quick glance, he looked as he’d done ten minutes before, if a bit more rumpled. It was the placement of the stark white towel standing out against the dark navy of the suit that made his brows rise. “You gotta be kidding me.”

Aaron’s only response was a deep blush.

“Where, exactly, is lover boy now?”

“I don’t know.”

A moment to assess the room as a whole told him the bed looked hardly rumpled and there was a chair turned toward Aaron by the desk. “What was this, I’ll show you mine of you show me yours?”

“No.” He really wanted Dave to get out of the doorway right about now.

“Ah, just you show me yours then.”

“Dave, dammit…”

He put his hands up in surrender, stepping away from the doorway, a grin firmly on his lips. “Shower’s all yours.”

Hotch stood and made a beeline for the bathroom.

“Going to get your things first?”

“No.” He slammed the door.

==

He made a noise of acknowledgement in the back of his throat. “I guess I expected you to come back looking a bit more…rumpled.”

“Rumpled?”

Rossi shrugged one shoulder. “Aaron was in an interesting state when I stepped out.”

“Huh.”

He shot Reid a look. “I told you two not to do anything.”

“I swear, I didn’t touch him. I would like to point out, I wasn’t even in the room for some of while you were showering. I can not be blamed for what may or may not have occurred during that time.”

“Reid…”

“If Hotch decided to utilize some private time for activities of undisclosed nature, that’s a conversation to be had with him.” He didn’t quite succeed in keeping a smile off his lips.

“Work a lot on that, did you?”

A grin blossomed across his face as he nodded smugly.

“I would suggest chaining the two of you apart, but clearly that wouldn’t help either.”

“And if you made one of us switch, then the other three would assume there was a falling out between he and I and they would fuss over us to fix it.”

“Yeah.” He frowned. “Sometimes it’s very hard to love the two of you, I hope you know that.” Rossi sighed. 


	5. AU

“We are live now watching the arrest of Federal Prosecutor Aaron Hotchner who is being charged with falsifying evidence as well as a laundry list of other charges. We’ve been told that every single case he has ever tried in his career that has spanned nearly two decades will be reopened and independent legal experts will be verifying every piece of evidence. Sources tell us that Hotchner is maintaining his stance that he is innocent of all charges and is potentially being framed. These charges come only months after the suspicious deaths of Hotchner’s wife and what some say was her lover. That case is still open, however, at this time Hotchner is not a suspect.”


	6. Spencer AU

“Look, Spencer!” William Reid tried to interrupt his son. “You don’t understand the reasons why I left, okay?”

“Then explain it to me!” He didn’t care. He didn’t care that they were standing in the middle of a hotel parking lot on the outskirts of Vegas, drawing the attention of nosy tourists pausing on their way to the casinos. He didn’t care that he was shouting, raving, arms waving wildly as his anger and frustration boiled over. And Spencer really didn’t care that circling them at a distance, witnessing his undoing, was his team. “Explain to me why the hell you left us! Why you left me to raise myself! Why you couldn’t bother to stick around for your own kid!”

“Because you’re not mine!” William shouted back reflexively, seeming to cause everyone present to freeze in place. “Because… Because you’re not mine.” He said with resignation.

“What?” Spencer breathed out.

“Look.” William started to step closer but stopped when Spencer’s hands came up to block him. “Your mother, she used to travel a lot to guest lecture. We were young and I was so busy and sometimes she’d be gone for an entire semester.”

“You’re saying she had affairs?” He geared up to defend his mother.

“No. Well… I suppose, but I wasn’t exactly innocent, and we were always honest about it. You know your mother, she can be very… rational… especially when it comes to love and needs.” William sighed. “A few weeks after she came home from a lecture series, we learned she was pregnant with you. There was no way you could be mine and at first I was fine with the idea of raising you as mine but… Things got hard and we had so little in common and I couldn’t help but start to wonder all the time if you didn’t have _his_ traits… So, I left.”

He remained silent, processing his father’s words before softly breaking the silence. “I can’t believe you.”

“What?”

Fists raised, Spencer lunged at William, using his height and the lean muscle he’d developed on the job as he slammed into the older man. “I can’t believe you! I can’t believe you would lie and blame her!” There was shouting behind him and then so many hands pulling at him as he tried to continue his attack. “Let me go!” He fought them all.

“Reid! Reid! Stop, stop! He’s not worth it!” Morgan pulled him back, holding him in a bear hug as the others forced their way in between.

“Thank you.” William replied.

Rossi’s eyes narrowed. “We didn’t do it for you.”


	7. Fixed Destiny

Huddled under the bed, Aaron shivered until the house was quiet, until he could hear his father snoring in the next room, then he knew he was safe. Easing out from under the bed, he felt the marks on his face and wondered what lie would work at school the next day, he hadn’t run into any doorknobs recently.

Peeling his shirt off, he winced as he felt the drying scabs break apart, fresh blood oozing. In a moment of wistfulness, he glanced out his window and up at the sky, wondering what it would be like to leave. One star seemed to twinkle brighter than the others. He didn’t know what made him do it, but after a minute, Aaron heard himself doing something he didn’t often do, he spoke. “I wish I could just go away where he couldn’t hurt me anymore.”

He waited. Then, he sighed. It was stupid to believe on such wishes. Tossing his ruined shirt in the trash, he crawled into bed.

\--

_“Aaron.” A voice whispered from somewhere out of sight._

_Aaron blinked and looked around, wherever he was, he wasn’t in his room._

_“Aaron.”_

_“Who’s there?”_

_The room lightened and a man stepped out of the shadows. “Come with me, we must discuss your wish.” He offered his hand to help the boy up._

_“My wish?”_

_“You wished to go away from the man who is hurting you. You wished to not be hurt any longer.”_

_He nodded._

_“Your wish can come true, but there are things you need to know. Many have many similar wishes, but many decided in the end to stay where they were.”_

_“Wha-What?”_

_“You can go away, but you will never be able to go back. It is forever. You will have to learn to care for yourself, you will be free.” He led the boy to a chair and sat down so the were eye to eye. “I will be able to drop in on you from time to time, but it’s a lonely life. Your friends and family, you will never get to really see them again.”_

_“Okay.”_

_The man studied him a moment. “You’re too young to understand this right now, but there are things in your future, things that must happen whether you stay with your family or not. I can’t tell you whether you will be better prepared in either version.”_

_“Okay.” He answered again, more forcefully this time. “I want my wish. I want my wish!”_

_The man nodded. “Go back to sleep.”_

\--

Lorraine Hotchner entered her only son’s room the following morning to wake him for school to find only his clothes in his bed as if he’d simply vanished in his sleep. Her scream brought her husband running.

 

==

Aaron woke to sunlight filtering down and a breeze blowing gently. Stretching, he rolled onto his back, the crinkling sound of leaves like soft music. The air was fresh and felt wonderf-

Aaron’s eyes popped open and stared up at…not his chipped bedroom ceiling. There was stone overhead. Mossy, damp-smelling stone like a…a cave.

Rolling carefully, he looked around. He had been laying on a bed of dead leaves. He reached out to touch them only to be startled that his hand wasn’t his hand! It was blue! And it looked like a-! He yelped, rolling backward as he turned and took off at a tear through the woods. He was in woods. He was running on all fours! He smelled water and turned, to freaked out already to start freaking out about the fact he’d _smelled_ the water. Reaching the of a lake, he looked down at his reflection and cried out! He was blue and scaly all over! Jumping away from the sight, he slipped on the damp bank and splashed into the water, spluttering and coughing.


End file.
